This game doesn't need any hype or false advertising. It already looks like the most ambitious game of this gen. Hype kills replayabillity and the surprise in games. No wonder why people aren't playing Watch Doge anymore.

It won't live up to the hype. People are trying to say it is the best game ever because it is a procedurally generated 3D world, but what's the actual point? Seriously, what is the point of the game other than it being procedurally generated???

I know that that in itself will take some doing, but I'm afraid this game will be more of a tech demo than a game at this rate.

I disagree, that it "can't" live up to the hype, but you do touch on something important here with regards to "what's the point?".

No doubt many will be drawn to a game that may not have a "point" in the traditional sense. The problem is, will it be enough.

There also a "jack-of-all-trades master-of-none" thing that might be an issue. For instance:

1. How detailed will space travel be?

Based on videos (which could of course change) there seems to be no "sim" qualities present at all. Not even X-Wing/TIE Fighter amounts. Just hop in a fly.

2. If that is the case what will be the focus?

Exploring seems to be the over arching theme along with an open gameplay style with no real narrative. A common theme in games like X3: Terran Conflict and Evochron Mercenary. But both of the cater to niche audiences and are beloved for the lack of any real direction.

3. The question then becomes, can you find those gamers on the PS4 in any significant amount?

Obviously the developers know the audience they intend to debut to but that presents a problem and it comes back to the focus, or the "point".

Watering down the space travel (which I am NOT saying is the case) would cheapen the exploration, but at the scales we are talking about, you can't just zip from one planet to another. But if you don't have that it could be potentially boring for many.

Its a weird, damned-if-you-do, type issue. This is also a specific type of game that is debuting on a platform that is not accustomed to it. That is why I say that "focus" is going to be a real hurdle to overcome.

I know I am making a lot of early assumptions, but I care that this game is successful. Not for the game itself, but the genre.

Hype is certainly a double edged sword. Developers need it to build anticipation prior to the game's release, but the build up can also be it's downfall if it's overdone. And developers aren't allowed to have passion these days without them being labeled as "overhyping."

Molyneux would geek out about his projects constantly, explain what he wanted to do, explain where he wanted to take his games and he'd be as passionate about his work as I'd seen any game developer. Then, when he shot for the moon and came up short, gamers would often overlook what he actually achieved and instead focus on what he didn't achieve. It's ridiculous. I wish more developers aimed for the stars with their games and missed.

The industry needs that passion, but we've become so cynical as gamers that devs have to reign their discussions in or else be guilty of "overhyping" their product. Nonsense! When I listen to developers working on a game, I want to know all the ambitious stuff they want to put in knowing full well that scope creep is a real thing and that features are cut all the time during development. But devs have to reign themselves in. Hype is a cruel mistress.

I totally agree with everything that you stated with a minor caveat about ol' Pete. See, the problem with Molyneux was NOT his passion, commitment, or desire. It was his PROMISE. He often PROMISED the stars instead of aiming for them and coming up short...on many occasions. I'm with you on the over-cynical gamers these days. Every video or statement is analysis to the point of not possibly being able to enjoy games. I don't know if this is because of the increase in information (blame the interwebz) or just boredom. But, for some reason, the last year or two has been filled with a skepticism and cynicism that I have not seen in generations past.

I cant even begin to imagine the pressure these guys are under after e3. A very ambitious concept which has been universally applauded to the point it was probably most peoples game of the show at e3 beating out many AAA games which have studios with hundreds of developers working on them.

These guys are a team of 7 and they now need to make good on their promises. Dont envy them whatsoever but I really hope they can pull it off, not only because it looks like a great game but also cos I like to root for the little guy.

Pimp's point was that those games met, or surpassed the hype train which carried them.

I disagree with Pimp on GTAV- I got way bored with GTAV after a few days- but TLOU and MGS3 absolutely met, exceeded, and destroyed my expectations of them. And to say I was hyped would be understatement.

CoD/ military shooters have never surpassed their hype trains in my memory. The two closes ones were CoD4:MW and Battlefield 3. Arguably they managed that, I'd say.

This is must be hard for a developer. Sure NMS is a technical marvel. But will it be fun to play? I've gotten concerned based on comments they before.

Infinate universe sounds amazing, but how many planets will you explore before you get bored? Will you be able to, for instance, mine them for rare resources? Maybe trade them with others? Go to war over them? Those are the kinds of things that could make it fun, but I don't know if those kinds of elements will be there.

All you need to is play the hype well. The problem is devs ride the hype until the game is dead before it's even released.

It's up to the devs when to release information & not to release false information. Some devs seem to be really struggling with the latter point of that statement lately, but it really should be that simple!

I think hype gives devs a sense of false security that they dont need to add alot more into their game when infact the people are expecting more and when they deliver it with everything people has seen before and no imagination or style the hype machine runs out of gas *COUGH WATCHDOGS*

'Hype is your worst enemy as a developer' . I don't buy this argument at all. TLOU was hyped like crazy and delivered ten fold. Hype is bad if you can't back it up but developers like Naughty Dog have the talent to deliver every time.

There's no question really that a team of 7 can deliver, its more of a question whether those who are intrigued by the concept actually like it.

The procedural stuff isn't hard to do (its been achieved before), its all about assets and really having enough.

Then there's the issue of "how big is too big" and "how much direction is the player base going to need".

For those that are curious about the size of the galaxy they plan (hundreds of billions) go download Space Engine. Its totally free and doesn't require a high-end system to get a good idea of the size. Space Engine isn't limited to a single galaxy either, in fact I don't think I ever reached a barrier there. It actually has literally billions of galaxies.

That video will give you a very good idea about what they are planning. Its basically a visual of how the server is plotting each system. Each box represents a star which is color coded to the type of star it is.

Now consider how many assets are needed to populate just 1% of that, and you start seeing the problem. How do you corral players with out building walls? More to the point; How do you give direction to the players that need it?

NMS may or may not be any good. Its going to be a tough sell, like it has been in the past. I appreciate that it finally caught on.

Hype is a two-way street for developers. 1) It can boost profits. 2) It can backfire if the product doesn't match expectations.

In the best case scenario, you get boosted sales and meet or come close to expectations. In the worst case scenario, the thousands or millions of dollars spent on advertising in order to build hype doesn't pay out as reviews for your sub-par product dissuade potential buyers and you lose tons of money.